Planning exhaust

[aarolar]

My cats are completely shot out and I am planning on upgrading my exhaust next but I have a question. Is it true that if you have your cats hot from running and you forge a small creek or something that it will damage them from sudden cooling? If so I may be better off going cat-less because they won't last long.

And on topic do any of the impact driven exhaust pipe expanders work at all?

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Yes, if you get cats cherry red and throw em underwater the catalyst inside can crack and break up, get the hi-flo cats you can see through, look like a short fat glasspack muffler. No issues with those breaking up.

As for the tailpipe expanders, I've used many, they all work fine but practice till you get the hang of it. Tighten them up inside the pipe then tap around the outside with a hammer and tighten some more. Keep going till you get where you want to be. Don't bother buying one, rent them from most auto parts stores.

 

[aarolar]

Yes, if you get cats cherry red and throw em underwater the catalyst inside can crack and break up, get the hi-flo cats you can see through, look like a short fat glasspack muffler. No issues with those breaking up.

As for the tailpipe expanders, I've used many, they all work fine but practice till you get the hang of it. Tighten them up inside the pipe then tap around the outside with a hammer and tighten some more. Keep going till you get where you want to be. Don't bother buying one, rent them from most auto parts stores.

Thanks that what I was looking at, I am tossing around the idea of doing it myself I have had several shops do exhaust work for me and I have never been satisfied with the quality of welds and attention to detail.

 

[LoudnLifted88]

I punched the cats on my 454 just unbolted them at the flange and cut the mufflers off and ran a bar threw them and cleaned them out least that way it looks factory then weld your mufflers of choice on I have super 44s and its loud and has some blatt but tolerable

 

[aarolar]

I punched the cats on my 454 just unbolted them at the flange and cut the mufflers off and ran a bar threw them and cleaned them out least that way it looks factory then weld your mufflers of choice on I have super 44s and its loud and has some blatt but tolerable

I think I want to keep cats, wifey complains about the fuel smells and I want to keep them down as much as possible.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Ask to see the shops work before you drop it off to be welded, its your money. If they do good work they should be able to show you plenty of quality exhaust systems they've installed. If they cant show you any keep moving. Any decent muffler shop should be able to show you the cats you are looking for while you're there.

 

[1998K1500]

Just gonna repeat about the cats.. go for the hi-flow ones
Magnaflow and Flowmaster both sell hi-flow cats for not much more than $100, so they're not gonna make you broke.

 

[SCOTTYINWV]

If you want a good high flow cat, go with a thunderbolt. They run around $40-60. And stainless. They are good quality and a fraction of the major brands cost.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/3-Thunderbolt-Catalytic-Converter-High-Flow-Stainless-Steel-/140941752250